Third European Roma Summit, being organized by European Commission (EC) on April 4, 2014 at Brussels, appears to be just a "sweet talk" like the previous two Summits (2008, 2010), with no concrete outcome to end Roma apartheid; distinguished religious statesman Rajan Zed, stated in Nevada (USA) today.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked:
What one could expect from a Roma Summit with presenters like Romania
President Traian Basescu, who was reportedly found guilty of
discriminatory remarks about Roma population by country’s official
National Council for Combating Discrimination in February?

In
Focus

Claims of landmark achievements would be made, commitments would
be renewed, road maps would be drawn, new frameworks would be created
and action plans would be designed at this Roma Summit on April four
but without significant impact on the apartheid conditions European
Roma faced day after day, Rajan Zed noted.

Zed stressed that if Europe “really and wholeheartedly” wanted
Roma social and economic integration, inclusion, and improvement in
their daily lives on the ground; a big change of heart, serious
motivation, effective implementation, honest feeling of
responsibility and firm political commitment were urgently needed,
which European Union (EU) clearly lacked.

Rajan Zed argued that “Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015” and
EC’s framework for national Roma integration strategies in 2011
were launched with much fanfare and with lofty claims, but these and
other ambitious plans failed to deliver much concrete results in the
areas of Roma employment, housing, education and healthcare; and they
continued to be maltreated as before or even more. If somebody had
fallacy about their plight, he/she just had to visit one of their
encampments and their sufferings were easily visible to the naked
eye, Zed added.

Zed indicated that the alarming condition of Roma people was a
social blight for Europe and the rest of the world as they reportedly
regularly faced social exclusion, racism, substandard education,
hostility, joblessness, rampant illness, inadequate housing, lower
life expectancy, unrest, living on desperate margins, language
barriers, stereotypes, mistrust, rights violations, discrimination,
marginalization, appalling living conditions, prejudice, human rights
abuse, racist slogans on Internet, etc.

EU and countries of Europe, instead of just discussions like this
Summit, should act immediately to end the centuries of severe
discrimination and abuse of Roma and achieve their social inclusion.
It is simply immoral to let this around 15 million population of
Europe continually suffer and face human rights violations, Rajan Zed
says.

Zed further said that references to Roma people in Europe
reportedly went as far back as ninth century CE. How many more
centuries Roma had to struggle in Europe to prove that they were
“real and equal” Europeans like any other, he asked and added
that it was moral obligation of Europe to take care of its frequently
persecuted Roma community.

Rajan Zed said that, moreover, there was insufficient involvement
and participation of Roma people in the April four Summit. “Access
to the Roma summit itself will only be possible for people who have
received an invitation and who have registered with the European
Commission”, announcement says.

Around 500 representatives; including EC President Jose Manuel
Barroso, EC Vice-President Viviane Reding, EC Director General for
Justice Francoise Le Bail, various European Commissioners, Romanian
President Traian Basescu, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida
Zlatanova, Ministers and State secretaries from nine EU Member
States, Mayors, European Parliament members, etc., are participating
in this Summit.